Sinful Vows: The Mafia's Unholy Union

PREFACE

In the last book, 'Arranged To The Masked Mafia King' I stated that there's going to be a book II about Vladimir and Guilia and here it is. In order for you to get a clearer background and understanding of this book, I'd suggest you read the story above.

There'll be no recaps, just references to past events. Vladimir and Guilia's story is action packed, fast paced, dramatic and spicy. There'll be betrayals and twists strong enough to blow your minds.

Chapter updates are constant as I'll be dropping 7-8 chapters a week. Each chapter is over 1500 words long so you're going to read to your fill.

TRIGGERS

This book contains imagery that a few readers might find disconcerting. Things like bullying, strong language, explicit scenes (highly consensual).

AUTHOR'S NOTE

If you're reading this part right now, I want to use this medium to thank you for choosing to read this book, it means a lot to me. Your support is very paramount and I'd appreciate it if you drop comments and votes. Giving feedback makes me feel seen and inspires me to write better chapters.

PROLOGUE

GUILIA

TWO YEARS AGO

The music blasted loudly from the speakers while my feet dragged on wobbly to the last table before the door. Suddenly my eyes were trained on the outline of a man who looked too familiar to be ignored.

His arms were placed comfortably on the fluffy rails of the sofa, his eyes fixed on the strippers who didn't stop twirling their semi-nude bodies around the black metallic pole.

Though my vision was clouded by the intoxicating influence of numerous bottles of vodka I'd gobbled, I could figure out how bored he was by the look of resignation on his face.

But his interest wasn't my business. After how things went with Ariel and Dmitri, I wasn't sure I wanted to be entangled with any of the Mikhailov brothers.

Fortunately, he hadn't noticed me yet, so I trailed on with my unstable steps until a wave of dizziness slammed me and I missed my footing and found myself leaning against his table for support.

His gaze darted from the unclad women to me as I dragged in shallow breaths. "I'm so sorry," I apologized immediately while praying that he wouldn't mock me for being unable to hold down my alcohol.

"Guilia Armando, am I right?" His deep, unfazed voice caressed my skin while I clutched onto the edge of the table that had only a bottle of vodka and half-filled glass for balance.

The excess alcohol I'd doused myself with was getting to me.

My eyes did a quick scan on his inked chest that flexed with a slight movement. How could a man be so appealing yet scary?

"How do you know my name?" I couldn't help but sound slurry even though I'd intended to be sober.

His lips curled into a smirk, his thumb massaging his temples as he crossed his thighs. "I have my ways, buttercup, but let's get down to the real question, why did you have to stumble into me? Have you forgotten who I am?"

His question threw me off balance because I didn't even know how I found myself in front of him. I'd come here to party and get laid, possibly by any hot demon I could find.

And now I'd bumped into his table. He was more than the hot demon I wanted, he was the very blazing devil, and even when my senses screamed that I should run away, my body betrayed me and my feet remained stuck to the ground.

Unlike his annoying brother who made my best friend's life a living hell, he seemed more friendly. His full eyebrows climbed his forehead when my response wasn't forthcoming.

"Umm, I think I made a mistake by coming here. I'll just leave," The words rushed out of my lips and I spun on my heels to leave.

His sharp reflexes caught me off guard as if he had sensed my plans to flee and he pulled me down to himself, the hem of my very short dress riding up to my ass.

Just one move and my thong would be exposed for all the lust-filled drunk men who had been leering at me earlier to see.

"What are you doing?" I croaked, making sure to avoid his intense erotic gaze that sparked strange desires within me.

His hand rested on my hips and I squirmed, his nose grazing my neck. "You want me, Guilia,"

A tight gasp burst out of me while I shuddered. "That's not true. Maybe I'm a bit too drunk, but I don't want you," I lied through my teeth.

"Your eyes speaks differently,"

His smirk switched to a cocky grin, knowing he was right. My heart pounded against my chest as my face flushed with heat. I wanted him just as he'd observed and if he didn't let go of me in the next few seconds, I might just damn the consequences and kiss him.

"I... I have to use the bathroom,"

His grip tightened around my waist and bolts of pleasure vibrated in my core. "Why does that sound like a lie?"

"It's not..."

I was too slow to reply as his lips smothered over mine without a warning, his strong hands pushing me further to him.

My nerves whirled in a frenzy as I tore my lips off his and struggled to break free from him, but how could I when my body wasn't agreeing with my wishes?

He wiggled his brows and ran his tongue over his lips, enjoying how he toyed with my emotions.

"Are you trying to tell me that you dressed this seductively just to go back home without experiencing new things? From the look of things, you want to be fucked, but you're held back by the shackles of your culture. The good news is that you're an adult and no one's gonna know if you don't tell them,"

Alright, enough of the games. It was true... I liked him too much for someone who looked like a player. The plan was to get drunk and laid and Vladimir seemed like the best option.

However, I couldn't ignore the feeling that I'd regret this once the alcohol wore off tomorrow morning.

Fuck it! Raphael was dead already and my father was behind it. I wondered how he'd feel when he discovered that his pretty little daughter wasn't a virgin anymore.

After a long, hard stare, I pressed my lips together and exhaled. "I'm down for it. You fuck me nice and clean and tomorrow we'll pretend like nothing ever happened. What do you say?" I replied very calmly even though nothing was calm about how I felt within.

My palms became clammy with sweat and I lowered my lashes, hoping that he'd refuse so that I'd have a reason to run far away from him, but tonight wasn't that night.

Instead, he chuckled lightly and let go of me, getting to his feet. His hand found its way around my waist and he smirked. "I have a room,"

Chapter 1

Guilia

"Fuck! Yes, harder," Screams tore out of my lips without any restraint.

"Do you like it when I bang you like a slut?" His dirty words further heightened my pleasure, my pussy flooding with hot wet fluid.

I was just about to respond when the sound of an object falling loudly onto the tiled floor of my bathroom jolted me back to reality. My eyes fluttered open from my momentary daydream and my gaze swept to the shards of the flower vase now scattered across the floor like a mosaic tile art.

"Shit!" I muttered under my breath, deeply embarrassed at myself for dreaming about my ex just a few hours to my wedding.

I'd intended to hide here while preparing mentally for the transition in my marital status.

Yeah, I was doing such a great job out of it if I was still lusting after my ex.

I'd done more than hiding for the past few minutes I was here and then I realized how becoming a Rossi would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. News about how worse they were than my family had saturated the town, but Alessio had assured me that they wouldn't be butting into our lives.

The noisy ticks of the large clock hanging on the wall of the bathroom disrupted my train of thoughts. Even without sparing the clock a glance, I knew it was just an hour to my big moment; my wedding. Yay, I'm so happy!

A wary sigh billowed from my lips while I stared wryly at my expertly made up face that reflected in the mirror, wondering if I'd made the right decision.

This marriage was one of convenience, a charade: I needed a father for my baby and Alessio needed a cover for his sexuality. We had given each other what we wanted, but why did it seem like it wasn't enough?

Again, my mind reverted to the first time Vladimir took away my innocence and made my heart beat for him.

The memories of our first night together flooded my mind as I tightened my grip on the bathroom's sink with heat spreading throughout my body. Even my thighs couldn't help but clench while I remembered how Vladimir's lips worshipped me that last night like I was the only woman on earth.

A faint knock on the door pulled me back to reality with a brute force that left me discombobulated for a moment. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I tried to hide the glaring signs of mortification.

Though this marriage was a farce, it was still disrespectful to think of my baby daddy on the day of my wedding.

"What are you doing in there, Guilia?" Mother's voice was as cold as ever, flat enough to tell anyone close by of how much she loved me, thick enough to make my skin jump.

For someone who never enjoyed her marriage, she was more happy to send me off to a man whom she didn't care if I had feelings for. Welcome to my world, a crazy and stupid world where love was as inconsequential as the thoughtless presents they gifted me on each of my birthdays.

I had to get out of the bathroom before my aunties began to stir up rumors about my plans of withdrawal from the marriage, so with shaky hands, I pulled the door open and flashed a fake, bright smile at my mom. I could easily pass for a hyena high on crack but it would do.

"Hi, mom, I was just about to come see you." Even I sounded too eager to my own ears. No one with smart brains would believe I was really about to do anything. I didn't want to do anything.

Her eyes did a brief scan on my body and then lingered on my face, her lips pursing in a tight grimace.

"Hmph. As if you have a choice. You should be happy that Alessio wants to be with you even though you have a child. Not everyone wants to be with old goods," She sighed, her lips curved in a disapproving pout.

Disappointment ate at my guts at the kind of mother I had. If shit had not hit the fan, I'd still be enjoying my time in Paris.

"I'm not old goods, mom," I replied sharply, suppressing the urge to walk out on her, but then I wasn't ready for the backlash that would follow suit. I was already the black sheep of the family.

"I just happened to have a son who I can do anything and everything for and that makes us different. At least I won't be so eager to push my child into something he isn't ready for." I hoped my words had enough bite to it, that they would grow talons and dig into her flesh until they found the core of her bitterness.

Crease lines formed on her forehead, her eyes narrowing down on me with those gimlet eyes of hers that always made me feel naked. She flinched at me and raised her hand, but it got suspended in the air.

"You're so lucky it's your wedding, but don't you forget that every ounce of peace and protection you're enjoying in this house right now is because of me." She snarled.

"Are you even my mother? I retorted. "Yes, I made a grave mistake, but haven't you done worse? Why can't you forgive me?"

She scoffed and burst into a brief chortle "Forgiveness? That word is non-existent here. Tell me, dear Guilia, how many times has your father ever pardoned me of my mistakes?"

My lips trembled and tears pooled in my eyes. I blinked hard to keep them from falling. Even though the make-up artist had used a fixing spray to keep my make-up from falling apart, I couldn't risk it by allowing a single tear to drop.

"But you're not him, mom."

A glint of remorse flickered in her eyes and within a splitting second it was gone. She gulped, the lines on her face hardening.

"Make sure nothing brings you back to this house, Guilia. You have no say when it comes to fulfilling your husband's desires, whatever they might be, so do whatever he asks of you and maybe, just maybe, he might like you a little more," She didn't spare me a second glance as she stalked out of my room.

My heart shattered to pieces at what seemed like her parting speech. Her harsh words were more depressing than finding out that Vladimir had dumped me to get married to another woman.

And now I was expected to surge ahead with this stabbing pain in my heart and get married to a man who didn't even see me as a woman.

I'd considered committing suicide a few times, but I couldn't imagine leaving my sweet Dalian alone in this world. Vladimir was oblivious of his existence, and I didn't want my son to be a burden to Ariel and her husband.

Maybe I'd listen to my mom and make Alessio tolerate me. At least he was gay and our relationship would be cordial which was a good thing since he wouldn't want me to tell on him.

Feeling much better, I straightened the skirt of my beautiful white dress and traipsed out of the room, my head high with a contented smile plastered on my face.

~~~~~~

"If anyone knows of any impediment why these person's should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, they are to say it now or forever hold their peace." The priest announced the Banns of Marriage just before we exchanged our vows while the knot in my stomach tightened, a heavy weight ball of uncertainty and nervousness sinking down into my stomach.

Holy Matrimony. This was no Holy Matrimony. It was not even a matrimony. This was a sinful facade.

For some strange reason, my mind was drawn to the only man who was more than capable of wreaking havoc in this wedding, but thankfully, he was unaware of this marriage as Father had ensured that the only people seated here were the guests we'd invited.

Shuddering slightly with anxiety, I began to count the number of guests present in ascending order in my head while waiting for the priest to ask everyone to remain silent till the ceremony was over.

"If no one is against this union, then the wedding ceremony shall continue and everyone shall forever hold their peace." The priest announced again with a firm note of finality. He was a pudgy man with worry lines wedged onto his forehead and moles the size of gumballs were scattered across his face like an afterthought.

I'd barely let out a sigh of relief when a deep, baritone voice resonated loudly in the hall. A violent shiver worked down my spine while I fought hard not to look in the direction of the intruder.

Alessio held my gaze, his brows knitted in confusion.

"Who's he?"

I didn't have the time to respond as the intruder interrupted me.

"I'm sorry for coming late, Guilia," My knees buckled, that familiar voice nearly sweeping me off my feet.

What in all the nine circles of hell was he doing here?

As always, he was so hard to ignore but he wouldn't be here if... Oh my god. Had he found out about Dalian?

My heart clenched and I evaded Alessio's puzzled gaze to look at the only man who could rock my world with just his presence. Our eyes met and my insides melted from uncertainty of the future, worry and then anger.

"Hello, buttercup," He winked at me.

Oh God, how did he get to know that it was my wedding?

I didn't have much time to think because he didn't stop rambling.

"And who are you?" The priest interrogated as whispers circulated loudly throughout the hall.

Though my eyes were on Vladimir, I could hear the women gossiping in hushed tones. It wouldn't be long before everyone in this neighborhood knew about the mess that was about to go down today.

"I'm Vladimir Mikhailov, the father of her two-year old son, Dalian. And I have come to inform you all that this wedding cannot continue because she has already been engaged to me," He explained with a huge grin spreading throughout his face, the smugness of it lighting up his features the same way it lit my insides on fire.

Chapter 2

Guilia

My eyes blurred with fury, my face tightening as I fought to school my expression into calmness. The murmurs had heightened and I could see Father jolting to his feet while mother tried to prevent him from coming over to us.

Tsk. As if that would work.

Vladimir made his way to us in confident and cocky strides. It was two years already, but his irksome ego hadn't diminished one bit.

How dare he disrupt my wedding with his lies? After hurting me over and over again, he just had to barge in here and cause a ruckus.

Raising Dalian alone in a strange country where I didn't have anyone was very hard, but I scaled through and had already adjusted to my new schedule until my cousin found me by chance at the market and told my parents about my situation.

They'd suggested I get married to Alessio who was more than willing to get married to me. I wasn't happy because I'd never be able to love him, but at least, I was assured of protection for my son.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my tone sharpening.

He shrugged, whipping a glance from me to Alessio.

"I'm here to take what's mine," He said it so casually like he was here to pick up an order.

"Then you must be the most popular clown in town because I was never yours to begin with. God help whoever told you about this wedding," I told him as quietly as I could.

He clicked his tongue and folded his arms, his eyes narrowing on Alessio's bewildered face before switching back to mine.

"What are you going to do, Guilia? It's not even like you can hurt an ant," He taunted me.

Father had already gotten to us, his tie hanging askew. I tried to hold my breath, to force out air from my nose in a loud exhale.

"Mr Mikhailov, you don't want us to do this the hard way, right?"

The tension stirring in the air was hot enough to cause a combustion in the hall and I couldn't allow any more disaster to happen.

Giving in to the only idea that danced in my mind, I snagged his hand and dragged him through the aisle and like a sheep on its way to the slaughter while he followed quietly which stirred an unsettling feeling within me.

"You must be crazy to think that Dalian is yours," My nose flared as I glared furiously at him. "How did you even know that I was getting married today?" I flung my hands in the air in exasperation.

"That's my business, baby. Listen, Guilia, arguing with me will only make this worse. You have always been mine and I'm not going to let that pussy take you away from me..."

My palm landed on his cheek, cutting him off from completing whatever he'd wanted to say.

"You must be out of your mind, Vladimir Mikhailov. Who the fuck do you think you are to determine the trajectory of my life? You messed with me and just when I got pregnant, you abandoned me for Marian. I didn't object because we weren't even an item and I was an idiot for falling for your charms, but that's the height of it, Vladimir." I growled. "As long as I'm concerned, I'm the only parent Dalian has. If you need a child, go fuck a whore." How dare he breeze back in like a mosquito into my life?

His face was reddening and his gaze remained indelibly fixed on me while I trotted back into the hall.

As far as I was concerned, Alessio and I would wed today.

All eyes were on me as I matched through the aisle to Alessio and my parents. My insides were quivering with a rollercoaster of emotions whirling in my head, but this wasn't the time to ride on the waves of my feelings.

A lot of things were at stake and I was responsible for fixing them.

"We're going on with the wedding, Sir," I informed the priest who nodded and flipped open a file.

The murmurs had barely quieted when I caught sight of Vladimir's tall frame in my peripheral vision. He didn't look impressed one bit, and it delighted me to know my stubbornness was upsetting him.

"Well, I still maintain that the wedding is not going to hold, and I won't leave this place without my fiancée and my son," The grin had disappeared from his face as he peered down at my father in a stoic, steady gaze.

The tension between the both of them was too scary, but I had the assurance that they wouldn't start a fight. Even though Vladimir was reckless, my father cared too much about his reputation to start a war with the Russians-one the Famiglia wasn't prepared for.

A tired sigh cracked from the priest and he steered away from us, closing the file containing the vows. "When you're ready to be wed, let me know," He shook his head and walked away.

********

"What is the meaning of that stunt you pulled out there, Mr Mikhailov?" Father's voice was loudly gruff as everyone: my mother who didn't bother to spare me a glance, Alessio and Vladimir, the reason for this meeting, gathered in his study.

Vladimir leaned against the doorframe and shrugged.

"I came back to claim what's mine. How's that a stunt?"

My dad glanced at me with a glare that made me want to bolt away, but I wasn't ready to cower before anyone.

"You never cease to stop bringing shame to this family, Guilia. How did you get to be my daughter?"

My chest constricted painfully, his words reopening the old wounds that were yet to scar.

Hot tears threatened to drop down my cheeks, but I blinked hard, willing them not to fall.

"Anyway, you have a decision to make right now, but you should know that choosing to marry this man would automatically erase you from being a member of our family."

I glanced at Alessio, whose eyes were pleading silently that I choose him. A knot tightened in my stomach as I slanted a glance at Vladimir who mocked me with his gaze as if he was daring me to pick someone else apart from him.

My fingers brushed against the silver stones on the lace fabric of my dress with shudders rolling out of me, anxiety resting on my shoulders like a cloak.

"I....I choose..."

The sound of gunshots rang in the air and everyone instantly took cover as the power supply was cut off. My heart pounded in unsteady beats while footsteps marched loudly outside the study.

Strings of curses and orders burst out of my father's lips and the door was slammed shut as he and Alessio went out to check out the situation.

"Protect the women," Was all that echoed from the hallway and then I felt a light grip on my waist, pulling me towards the adjoining door and even without looking, I knew who was holding me.

"Don't be scared, Tinkerbell, I'm going to protect you and our son," He sounded so sure, so certain and in control of the situation.

It annoyed me how it was so easy for him to switch pet names as if I was his woman.

Fury blasted within me as I shoved him aside and said, "Dalian is not your son!"

He chuckled lightly and even though the room was grossly dark, I could make out his disbelieving smirk.

"You said that earlier and I ignored it because I felt you were simply angry, but trust me, honey, I know Dalian is mine."

"What makes you think so?" My voice was quite calm which I was grateful for.

"Don't play games with me, Guilia. I was your first." I tried not to cringe at that.

"That's exactly what it is. You left me heartbroken after toying with my heart and then I traveled to Paris to begin my education. What makes you think that I didn't entertain other men while I was there? What makes you think I'd have kept myself exclusively for you?" I sneered.

"Because you're in love with me and you have never stopped loving me. Even now, I can rock your world by a mere kiss. Just one touch and you'll be wet for me," He retorted cockily.

My body flared immediately and I struggled against a shiver.

"That's.....that is a lie. I....I never loved you." I lifted my chin in defiance even as I was sure it was dark for him to take notice of it.

At this point, I was more than grateful for the darkness. How could he still have so much control over me after how much pain I'd gone through in his hands?

I felt him move closer, our bodies almost touching.

"Do you want me to prove it?" His lips teased mine, brushing against the corner of my lips.

My chest rose and fell slowly, my core clenching in want. I balled my fingers into tight fists, willing myself not to fall for his games.

He would never be able to mess with me again if I didn't give him the power to, and I couldn't afford to hurt Alessio whom I was looking forward to building a future with.

Acting on impulse, I dragged my dress up to my mid-thigh, giving me the liberty to flex my legs against his balls. He groaned and I quickly grasped the opportunity to dash towards the door.

It was too late for me to realize that I'd made a grave mistake as I felt a painful grip on my arm, dragging me toward the exit of the hallway.

Since we were on the down floor, it wouldn't be difficult for my captor to drag me out of the house.

Instantly, I regretted leaving Vladimir in there. Kissing him would have been ten times better than having to deal with whoever my captor was.

"Vladimir!"

His name had barely burst out of my lips when he slapped a palm over my mouth, his other hand jerking me back against his taut body. One thing was clear now: whoever this was, it wasn't Vladimir.

"One more word from you and I'll make sure you don't see the light of the day," The coarse words and fearful words left a trail of shivers down my spine.

Ignoring the threat, I tried to scream again and then the unthinkable happened. I felt a needle-sharp sensation prick my neck and even though the whole space was dark already, it seemed to darken the more and everything blurred into one maelstrom of black and oblivion.

It felt like I was being dragged into an abyss of unconsciousness. With every second that passed, my energy depleted and just before I sank below the surface, I prayed that Dalian was safe and that Vladimir would find me.